WHEELING — Wheeling Hospital’s Center for Women’s Services is ranked No. 1 in the Wheeling market for very good reasons. That’s reasons … plural.

From the Comprehensive Breast Care Center to the Mammography Center, obstetrics and gynecology to maternity care, Wheeling Hospital is demonstrating an ongoing commitment to outstanding women’s care.

While the center doesn’t have a single location, it has a single purpose: to provide the best possible care for women of all ages. Whether the care is for everyday needs or life-changing events, women’s services at Wheeling Hospital is ready to serve with the region’s largest team of specialists.

The team’s obstetricians and gynecologists include Dr. Peter Bala, Dr. Wayne Groux, Dr. Sarah Lancione, Dr. Emily Morris, Dr. Chandra Swamy, Dr. Gary DeGuzman, Dr. Erin Stoehr and Dr. Ronald Thomas, a specialist in high-risk pregnancies.

Dr. Gary DeGuzman, gynecologist at Wheeling Hospital, recently was named director of Advanced and Minimally Invasive Pelvic Reconstruction and Gynecological Robotic Surgery.

The state-of-the-art surgical technique is critical in the management of female abdominal/pelvic disease. The benefits of minimally invasive surgery include less operative trauma, shorter hospital stay, less pain and scarring, and reduced post-surgical complications, such as adhesions.

The robotic surgery enables DeGuzman to perform with enhanced precision and control, using only a few small incisions. It is one of the newest technologies available for treating gynecologic problems including hysterectomy and ovarian surgery for cancer, and other conditions such as pelvic organ prolapsed.

At Wheeling Hospital’s Comprehensive Breast Care Center, women are provided a comprehensive approach to breast health.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women in the U.S. Early detection is the single most important component to improving survival and optimizing the quality of life.

The Comprehensive Breast Care Center facilitates rapid surgical consultations and, when appropriate, same-day interventions, all in one location.

The result is more timely diagnosis and the easing of anxiety for women with a breast abnormality.

Diagnostic studies, surgical interventions and follow-up are provided by surgeons specializing in breast care.

The surgeons include Dr. Rose Hardin, the valley’s only surgeon fellowship-trained in breast surgical oncology, something she achieved at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Hospital. Hardin specializes in a technique that greatly enhances the cosmetic outcome of breast surgery — nipple-sparing mastectomy.

Leading the veteran team of board-certified surgeons specializing in breast care is Dr. David Ghaphery, the hospital’s chief of surgery and director of the Comprehensive Breast Care Center.

In the Mammography Center, digital mammography units help provide early detection of breast abnormalities.

Early detection can make a tremendous difference in survival rates. Digital mammography provides faster, clearer and overall better results compared to regular mammography.

Physicians can view and maneuver the digital mammography images on high-resolution computer monitors that enhance visualization of the structures within the breast tissue.

With digital mammography, the brightness and contrast of the image can be adjusted, and technicians can zoom in on specific areas to help detect small calcifications, masses and other changes that may be signs of early cancer.

In March 2016, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) West Virginia announced Wheeling Hospital had been designated as one of the first hospitals to receive the Blue Distinction® Center for Maternity Care designation, a new designation under the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. The designation is an effort to help prospective parents find hospitals that deliver quality maternity care.

The hospitals obstetricians, pediatricians, labor and delivery staff and quality assurance team are very committed to the health and well-being of newborns. They also demonstrate that same commitment to providing educational programs to parents that benefit babies once they leave the hospital.

The Blue Distinction recognition illustrates the dedication to newborns and their parents.

In 2016, Wheeling Hospital delivered a record-setting 1,286 babies. From 2002 through 2016, 15,496 babies entered the world at Wheeling Hospital.